title: Tissue- and column-specific measurements from multi-parameter mapping of the human cervical spinal cord at 3 T.
abstract: The aim of this study was to quantify a range of MR parameters [apparent proton density, longitudinal relaxation time T1, magnetisation transfer (MT) ratio, MT saturation (which represents the additional percentage MT saturation of the longitudinal magnetisation caused by a single MT pulse) and apparent transverse relaxation rate R2*] in the white matter columns and grey matter of the healthy cervical spinal cord. The cervical cords of 13 healthy volunteers were scanned at 3 T using a protocol optimised for multi-parameter mapping. Intra-subject co-registration was performed using linear registration, and tissue- and column-specific parameter values were calculated. Cervical cord parameter values measured from levels C1-C5 in 13 subjects are: apparent proton density, 4822 ± 718 a.u.; MT ratio, 40.4 ± 1.53 p.u.; MT saturation, 1.40 ± 0.12 p.u.; T1 = 1848 ± 143 ms; R2* = 22.6 ± 1.53 s(-1). Inter-subject coefficients of variation were low in both the cervical cord and tissue- and column-specific measurements, illustrating the potential of this method for the investigation of changes in these parameters caused by pathology. In summary, an optimised cervical cord multi-parameter mapping protocol was developed, enabling tissue- and column-specific measurements to be made. This technique has the potential to provide insight into the pathological processes occurring in the cervical cord affected by neurological disorders.
authors.affiliation: NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Samson
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ciccarelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kachramanoglou
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brightman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lutti
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Weiskopf
authors.forename: C A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wheeler-Kingshott
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: magnetisation transfer; multi-parameter mapping; relaxometry; spinal cord